Automobile curtain



,1931. e. P. KOENIG 1, 9,3

AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN Filed Dec. 5, 1927 E l \\\\\\\\\\\\v a j /6 74GERVASE PKoezvzG Patented Jan. 27, 1931 UNITED s'rr GERvAsE 1-.KOENICfi'OF EAST cLEvELANn onIo anrromonrnn CURTAIN Application filedilecember 5, 1927.- Serial naeamss.

This invention relates to an improved curtainfor the open typeofautomobile As one means for enclosing the open car,

there is the familiar all-weather top which 5, consists of a rigid topwith windows that can be opened and closed. Thistop'is not adapted forready removal and can not be collapsed for storage. Then, too, there areleather or fabric curtains with mica windows. of these flexiblecurtains, the windows are not adapted for opening; while in others, someof the windows are hinged so as to be capable of opening and closing. Inthis last named form of curtain,the hinged window is adapted to swingdown. and comprises approximately the upper one-third portion of thecurtain. And asa means of providing the hinged connection for the upperpart of the window, there is a band or strip of leather or fabricextending across the curtain along the bottom of the hinged windowsection. This band or strip, however, constitutes an obstruction to theview of the driver or passenger and istherefore objectionable.

It is therefore the object of the present invention todevise a flexiblecurtain with a window which can be opened and closed without anyobstruction to the view from the inside of the car.

More specifically, it is the object ofthis invention: to provide aflexible curtain with a slidable window for raising. and loweringmovements to close and open the same.

Another object is to devise such'a curtain 'that can also be folded upfor storage. puroses. I

Another object is to provide a flexible curtain withv a slidable windowthat can be set in any desired position. I

A further object is to provide means for preventing the slidable windowfrom accidentaldisplacement from the curtain, and at the same time todevise such a slidable window that can be readily removed from thecurtain. I

Another object consists in providing a single means for preventing theslidable window from accidental displacement and for holding the same inset position.

A still further object consists in providing In some volving a greatcost.

a single means forholdijng the window in closed position and forexcluding the natural elements which might otherwise find their wayaround the edge of the window.

Other objects will appear from the fol lowing description and'claimswhen considered together with the accompanying draw- 111g. 1 Fig. 1 isan outside elevation of an automobile equipped with my improvedcurtains; to Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is aview taken ,on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4"is an inside elevation of aportion of one of the curtains ,Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig.3andshows a modificatiomFig. 5 is a view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4:;Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the button and slot; and

Fig. 8 is taken on line 88 of Fig.7.

In the present invention the leather or fab-.

ric curtains are detachably fastened to the v car inthe same manner asthe well-known curtains. And the present invention may be embodied inthe curtains forthe front and rear doors as well as the curtainstherebetween. a detachable curtain for the rear end of the car and awindow provided therein after the same manner as in connection withthedoor curtains. Also, this invention may be employed as a substitute forthe slide windows in the front of the'familiar taxi-cab and in fact maybe employed wherever there is desired a removable curtain orenclosurewith a window that can be opened and closed without obstructionto the view and without in- The present illustration shows only oneembodiment of my invention and it is to be understood'that other formsand modifications may be adopted without departing-from the spirit. ofthe invention as herein described and claimed. Referring to the presentdrawing, the lower one-third part 1 of each curtain, or approximatelyso, consists of a flexible material such as leather or canvas, and thismaterial continues about the edge portions of the upper part of thecurtain, as indicated at 2. The opening in the upper two-third portion,or approximately so, of the curtain is adapted Likewise, there may beconstructed 75 V to be closed by the transparent window 3 of mica orglass or by a screen. This window has its edges bound with a suitablefabric or the like, as indicated in the drawing, and is slidably mountedin the channel members 5 of mica or light weight metal, which aresecured in any suitable manner along the side edge portions of thewindow openings. The binding on the top edge of the window is verynarrow and does not obstruct the vision when the window .is open. Thisbinding may consist of an extremely narrow strip of metal or a micabinding may be used. A like channel member 6 is secured along the upperedge portion of the window opening, this particular channel memberhaving a deeper groove for a purpose to be explained. There is providedalso a channel member across the bottom part of the curtain portion 1.vAll of these channel members are secured to the inside of the curtain,so that the window is mounted upon the inside of the curtain. Whenlowered to open position, the bottom edge of the window will engage inthe groove of the bottom channel member 7; and when in raised or closedposition, the upper edge of the window engages in the groove of theupper channel member. The window is held in closed position by means ofthe transverse flap or apron 8, of leather :or canvas or the like, whichis hingedly connected to the marginal portion of the curtain about thebottom edge of the window opening, and which is adapted to be turned upabout the bottom edge of the window, as seen in Fi 3. This flap or apronhas openings 9 which are adapted to engage over buttons or projections10 for securing the same in such position. In this way, the window isheld in raised position and at the same time the apron 8 serves as abattle means for keeping out the wind, rain, etc. which might otherwisefind their way about the bottom edge of the closed window.

The channel members may be omitted at the top and bottom and a narrowlip provided at the bottom for supporting the window in fully openposition. This arrangement will facilitate folding or rolling of thecurtains with the windows removed.

Instead of the apron 8, the bottom edge of the windows might be providedwith tongues forming a groove which is adapted to rest upon the upperedge of the curtain portion 1. The tongue 11 on the outside is ofsufficient dept-h to prevent the natural elements from beating in aboutthe bottom edge of the window; and the inner tongue 12 is of less depthso as to permit the operator to observe the outer tongue as he raisesthe window and disengages the tongues from the edge of the curtainportion 1. Upon so disengaging the lower edge of the window,prepara-tory to lowering the same, the lower edge portion of the windowis pulled inwardly so as to clear the edge of portion 1, and then.lowered. In carrying out this operation, there must be provided acertain clearance for the tongue 11 as it is moved inwardly; and forthis purpose, the upper channel member 6 may be made deeper than theothers. Also, the tongues 11 stop short of the channel members, as a 3so asto permit the engagement of the groove over the edge of theportion 1. Upon lowering the window with the tongues, both ofthe tonguesmay be inserted in the groove of the channel member 7 or only the outertongue 11.

As a means of preventing the window from being. accidentally displacedfrom its slide grooves, I have provided the buttons whose shanks 13 arelong enough to extend through the slits 14 in the .inner side wall ofthe side channel members 5. These buttons are carried by the bound edgeportions of the window,.one on each side. The swivelled heads 13 ofthese buttons are long and narrow so as to be readily insertible throughthe slots 14 when turned to the proper position. The heads of thesebuttons may be spring actuated towards engagement with the channelmembers and may have seating engagement in depressions or seats formedin the contacting surface of the channel member. In this way, the windowcan be set and held in any position desired. The channel members may becovered on the outside with any suitable fabric, and such a coveringwill facilitate the gripping engagement between the button head and thechannel member. In the drawing, the button head is adapted when turned,to engage the cam shoulders 13" of the narrow, spring metal member whichhas its ends 13 engaging the channel member. This spring member may bemounted about the shank 13 and is sufficiently narrow to be insertiblethrough the slit 14:. Or, the spring member may be removably insertedthrough an opening in the shank 13, as illustrated in the drawing. Uponremoving the window, the spring metal members are first removed. Thereverse procedure is followed when the window is inserted. Or, insteadof either of the above, the head 13 may have a cam undersurface forbinding engagement with the face of the channel member upon turning thebutton so as to extend across the slot 14.

hen the curtains are not being used, as for instance during the summer,they may be entirely removed and stored away. And the lower part of thegrooved member is, in each case, separate from the upper part so as topermit the lower part of the curtain to be folded when the window isinclosed position. In other words,- the grooved members are broken, asindicated at 16, although the gap is .not so great as to interfere withthet sliding of the window. And these members may be broken whereverdesired for folding purposes.

Or, the curtains may be kept on the car,

and the windows removed by. turning the the doors and body except forthe one top 7 button at the front, according to the presentillustration, and the curtains'can then be swung up under the roof ofthe ear and secured there in any suitable manner. For instance, theremay be provided a strip along he middle part ofthe underside of the carroof and suitable buttons provided thereon for engaging the holes in thebottom ends of the curtains, and a snap fastener 17 may be provided onthe edge of the automobile top 18 or on a depending flap 18 forattachment of the other top corner of the curtaln when folded up underthe car roof.

The curtains for the front doors may or may not have the extensionsbetween the doors and the glass windshield; they may be formed asseparate curtainsQ It is to be understood, of course, that the shapesand styles of curtains vary with the different makes and styles of cars,and that the same principle of invention, as herein set forth, may beemployed in all cases. 7

Thus, I have devised a. readily detachable and collapsible flexiblecurtain with a slidable window without obstructions to the vision; Thewindow can be set in any position desired and is ensured againstaccidental displacement. Also, the curtain is practically proof againstthe entrance of the natural elements. With all these advantages, andothers hereinbefore mentioned, there may be realized practically all ofthe advantages of the closed car and the open car without any seriesdisadvantages or inconveniences of either.

Other advantages resulting from this 1nvention will be apparent to thosewho areskilled in the art to which it relates.

What I claim is 1. An automobile curtain comprising a and collaspsibleslide means secured to said v body portion along the margins of saidopening, and a removable window closure having slide engagement withsaid slide means,

3. An automobile curtain comprising a body portion of flexible material,said body portion having a window opening with a slide-way, a readilyremovable window closure therefor slidably mounted in said slide way,and a single means engaging said slidewayfor preventing accidentalremoval of said window and for holding the said window in any positiondesired.

4:. An automobile curtain comprising a body portion of flexiblematerial, said body portion having a window opening, a 'win- .dowclosure therefor. slidably mounted on said body portion, and a singlemeans located at the edge of the window for holding said window inclosed position and for preventing entrance of weather at the edge ofsaid window.

5. An automobile curtain comprising a body portion of flexible'material,said body portion having a window opening, a window closure therefor,channel members secured to the marginal portions of said opening, saidchannels having one wall' slotted, securing means carried by said windowfor removable insertion in said slot and detachable engagement with saidchannels so as to permit ready removal of the window or securing of thesame in any set position in said channels.

6. An automobile curtain comprising a body portion of flexible material,said body portion having a window opening, a window closure therefor,channel members secured to the marginal portions of said opening,said'channels having one wall slotted, and means carried by the marginalportions of said window for readily removable engagement in said slotsto prevent accidental disdow from its opening and to permit clamping ofsaid window in any position desired.

8. An automobile curtain comprising a body portion of flexible material,said body portion having a window opening, a window closure thereforslidably mounted on said body portion, a flap at the-bottom of saidopening, and means for securing said flap about the bottom edge of saidwindow so as to hold the same in raised position and to serve as asealing means.

In testimony whereof, I hereby affix my signature.

- GERVASE P. KOENIG.

